Happy New Year's

Gabe and I were reminiscing a little bit... We were talking about our first few months of marriage - how little we had and how even when all of our stuff got there we still didn't have much. And yet, without anything, we were happy. Even talking about it now we were laughing and smiling and hugging.


It got me thinking about our past New Year's...




Our first one was 2006. We had just married and had literally flown to NC just days before. Gabe had CQ New Year's Eve at his barracks (since he had only just married he still had his room set up there). Aunt Beth and Uncle Chris were letting us stay at their house in Concord which is about 3 hours away from Fort Bragg. But we didn't want to spend our first New Year's Eve apart so I went with Gabe to CQ and we really just talked and read magazines until 2 in the morning when I was no longer allowed to be at the desk with him. So then he snuck me up to his room (his roommate was gone that night). I had to be super quiet because I wasn't supposed to be there, but Gabe would come check on me every now and then. Eventually I fell asleep on the bed from which the man I love had stayed on the phone for hours with me... And waking up New Year's Day to his sweet kisses will always be one of my fondest memories... I thought I was dreaming at first. :-)


Our second New Year's was spent apart... Gabe was on a plane to Afghanistan so I didn't get to talk to him. He had left December 30th. I was driving someone home from work so I honked my horn at midnight (on the phone with my dad who, I think, also honked his horn even though it was only 9 in CA). I stayed at some friends' house that night, but by the time I got home they were done celebrating and went to bed... I spent a good amount of time talking to someone I had just met which was nice, but far from waking up to Gabe's kisses, I woke up with a back ache on the floor and drove myself home to sleep... Sam was there though.


Our third New Year's was during the deployment so Gabe was in Afghanistan. I was in California and had the best celebration ever at Ashawnae's house - we did a bible study, talked about our walks with the Lord, did some serious and hilarious fellowship and ended the night with good clean fun, chatting until dawn. Gabe and his friends ran up and down the halls at the fob when 2008 broke, but he said it was rather anticlimatic... apparently the Brits aren't very into New Year's... though I wouldn't be either if I were stuck in a foreign country during the holidays.


This year we were finally together again. We didn't make much ado, but it was truly wonderful to be with one another. The Balls went to bed about five minutes to midnight so Gabe and I ended up being rather alone and while my expectation was of all four of us bringing in the new year, it was appropriate and pleasant to see only Gabe and Samson as 2009 made it's entrance. We have been through so much together. 2008 has been the toughest year yet - dealing with deployment issues we didn't know would come up and with family issues seperate from us - but we have learned a lot. And we both believe it will be one of those defining points in our life. When we have been married for 60 years and we are reflecting on our marriage 2008 will be one of the things we will still be thanking God for... I wouldn't want to go through this stuff again, but I am so blessed to be going through it with Gabe.


So there are my thoughts on this New Year's Day. I look forward to ALL that God has in store for us and for all we will be able to offer Him this year. And I look forward to Samson getting a brother or sister (of the furry variety) in 2009. :-D